[mayapaya]

So, until I can consult with a trainer, I would appreciate any suggestions from the experts here. Maya has recently become more and more challenging--she seems to want to get into everything!!!!! and destroy it--shred it, chew it..it's now gotten to the point where I can't leave her alone for even a minute, unless she has a new bone or bully stick. She eats the firewood (sprayed it with bitter apple, sprinkled it with cayenne pepper)--she still goes back for more. She's destroyed every single toy, and now this evening even the Kong Wooba Wooba has a hole in it. The weather here has been crummy, so our walks are limited to about once per day, and some play time in the yard and house, puzzle treats last for about half an hour and she is off searching for more things to destroy. It seems as is I am crating her more now than 3 months ago, when she was content to lay in the chair and look out the window for a half hour. Just yesterday I caught her trying to chew at an electrical cord--somthing she has never done before. She is chewing on rugs, almost anything in sight, it is worse than ever--I just don't understand it--and she knows the things she should not be chewing on, because she runs underneath the table and hides from me.....I feel like a bad mom, I am starting to dislike the dog that I love with all my heart.....

 

[nolefan]

ugh, i'm so sorry
I can't remember how old she is, but can you increase the number of things you are teaching her. Add some new tricks? She could be learning to crawl on her tummy (like combat crawl), shake, spin, place (where she goes to her bed and stays) also 'leave it' and a down, stay, wait till you release her for eating her meals. She sounds like she could also use doggy daycare if you can afford it. Even once a week would be something. Do you know anyone at all with a puppy of a similiar age you could invite over for an indoor playdate? Even a friend of a friend? I see now she is 9 months. Could you work on teaching her to hide and seek? My first golden would play for ever.. I'd put him in a down stay in the kitchen and he'd wait while I went and hid his favorite bright orange retrieving bumper somewhere in the house. Then I'd release him and he'd tear all over the place looking for it. It was wonderful work for him and he loved it. Anyone else in your house you could team up with to play hide and seek for a person? I'm sorry, I know you're desperate......

I know chicago crummy weather is pretty bad, but I'm thinking if none of these things are working, you may need to break out the ski mask and parka and do more walking. She just may need more exercise now than she did before. I hope this helps, and if not I hope it helps to know that I feel for you....

I walked Mack this morning for an hour with windchills in the teens, we stopped off at my parents house and he proceeded to do zoomies around their living room and kitchen like he hadn't been anywhere at all. I just threw up my hands and they laughed.

Hang in there, this too shall pass.... eventually

 

[mayapaya]

9 months, 1 week--with any luck, she'll see week #2. I work from home, so she is only in her crate for max three hours at a time in the morning and then again in the afternoon. My neighbor has a brumese mountain dog, so at least twice a week, I arrange for an hour playdate/run in our yard. And thanks, it does help to have someone "feel for you"--guess it's an hour walk tomorrow....brrrrrrrrr

 

[penparson]

It's puppy adolescence. Wakefield was just plain horrible at that age. We don't have a fenced yard (we'll have one at our summer house next year - believe me) and I couldn't walk him for a couple of months because he tried to chew the leash AND me. He would also lie down and refuse to move on walks. He ate the rugs, the sheetrock, furniture legs, everything in sight and we had to start crating him again.
It's hard to believe that was only 5 months ago! I asked a friend who has worked with a lot of dogs to help me out, and I took Wake down to his house 3 or 4 times a week. Our friend has a large fenced yard, and we'd tire Wake out BEFORE training by letting him play with our friend's two Rottweilers. Wakefield is still a work in progress at 14 1/2 months, but he seems to concentrate on collecting "personal belongings" (i.e. boots, slippers, gloves) like a typical golden now instead of destroying everything in sight. He's still naughty, but that's to be expected. I've been hiking with him on a 50 ft long line several times a week, which he loves. We finally stopped crating him at night a couple of days ago.
He's still a handful with visitors, so we put him in an X pen. Once he's decided to calm down, we let him out.
My only advice is to keep working with her - this, too, shall pass!

 

[magiclover]

It sounds like Maya has hit "adolescence". Difficulty listening and forgetting or ignoring previous training. Many dogs this age actually end up in shelters or rescues for this very reason. I don't know Maya and she may be a bit more active than your average pup. I know your struggling to find time to be active with her but it sounds like she needs to burn some energy. Can you find more times for doggy play dates or is there a doggy day care near you that is affordable?

It is important to stay consistent with training and praise her when she is doing what you want her to do. I understand that you are frustrated now but this is normal behavior and will pass eventually!

 

[mayapaya]

thanks, nolefan and penparson, I so appreciate the support--so I have a fenced yard--and it's large--just this evening, I am calling Maya, and she's not coming (yeah, so recall still a work in progress, but usually she'll come eventually)-just last week we had to fence off an area with plastic fencing near the sump pump hose because it became a huge mud puddle--my industrious Maya figured out a way in, but not a way out --golden Maya, now dark mud Maya--god help me get through this!

 

[mayapaya]

so yesterday, I ran her ragged. Food in puzzle treats, games, took nice long walk, two hour long sessions in the back yard playing fetch, 12 year old daughter chasing her around--NOT one item destroyed yesterday!!! YEAH for us!!!! I slept like a rock last night!!! Then this morning I had several conference calls so we couldn't take our usual morning walk, and she started eating a leather covered serving tray that rests on my ottoman. Oh well, I know what I need to do now. I'll certainly be in shape by the summer at this rate!!!

 

[magiclover]

I'm glad to hear that she did better yesterday. I do think more activity will help. Is doggy day care an option, even a few days a week?

 

[penparson]

I just returned from a 2 mile hike on the Catamount Trail in Vermont with Wake. He was just as energetic at the end of the hike, but he'll sleep well tonight! At least he's not as recalcitrant as he used to be when it's time to go home - no more lying down in the road or trail refusing to move! Things definitely got better after his 1st birthday.

 

[luverofpeanuts]

so yesterday, I ran her ragged. Food in puzzle treats, games, took nice long walk, two hour long sessions in the back yard playing fetch, 12 year old daughter chasing her around--NOT one item destroyed yesterday!!! YEAH for us!!!! I slept like a rock last night!!! Then this morning I had several conference calls so we couldn't take our usual morning walk, and she started eating a leather covered serving tray that rests on my ottoman. Oh well, I know what I need to do now. I'll certainly be in shape by the summer at this rate!!!

Aspen and Spirit are now 38 weeks and it's taking more and more to get them tired. At least they haven't gone too wild in the house with things. They like to remove paper items (amazingly though, they do it carefully) from the recycling bin, sneak to the living room or bedroom and they spend some time carefully tearing the paper to shreds. We've had a couple of sock incidents, and a couple of 'headphone' type cords that have been chewed. Other than that, they've been good.

Regarding exercise though, that has been the one thing that truly works best for us. for walks, 1 mile is great for making them very well content. 2 miles is where they come home, lay down, and in a very short time, will be napping well. I can do 2 miles with them in an hour neighborhood walk; my wife likes to take them to a city park that has a couple of trail loops where she walks them unleashed.

For night time, when I haven't had a chance to go for a long walk... I'll go to the back yard (not a huge back yard either) and take the "mouse pointer" toy that is meant for cats. It is basically just one of those "laser pointers" type things. They go NUTS chasing it. I do laps with them in the backyard for 10 minutes or so and that's enough to really take the edge off for them. I'm just careful not to do quick turns or anything... I also like to play "peek a boo" with them... They realy enjoy the hide&seek part of it.... plus it's a workout for them. It just doesn't work so well during the day.

 

[mayapaya]

I'm glad to hear that she did better yesterday. I do think more activity will help. Is doggy day care an option, even a few days a week?

Are you located new the Chicago area in Illinois? Do you have any recommendations for doggy day care in this area?

 

[magiclover]

Are you located new the Chicago area in Illinois? Do you have any recommendations for doggy day care in this area?

I'm in the northern suburbs up near the Wisconsin border. I bet if you posted a thread looking for suggestions you would get responses. Put Chicago area in the title. Are you in the city?

 

[mayapaya]

I'm in the northern suburbs up near the Wisconsin border. I bet if you posted a thread looking for suggestions you would get responses. Put Chicago area in the title. Are you in the city?

No, I'm in the northwest suburbs near Cook/Kane county border. I'll try searching online, and if nothing comes up with try and query the forum! Thanks!

 

[rhondas]

@mayapaya

I'm in Naperviile and my puppy goes to a great doggy daycare.
My 4.5 year old went to the same one.
Send me a PM and I can recommend this one and at least 2 others.

 

[nolefan]

@mayapaya

I'm in Naperviile and my puppy goes to a great doggy daycare.
My 4.5 year old went to the same one.

Laughing.... you can tell I have little kids... I saw that your 4 1/2 year old went to the same one and my first thought was "wow, what a neat idea, a place that does day care for kids AND dogs!" How smart! Just drop them all off at the same place, be a big time saver! HAHAHA! (OMG, could you imagine!)

Anyway,
So glad that you have figured out the key to Ms. Destructo and I love your attitude! Smaller jeans by June!!! Atta Girl!
Hang in there!

 

[mylissyk]

Just thought I'd mention, if you are going to be occupied and can't watch her, like with your conference calls, put her in her crate even if you are home. Safer for her, you don't want her eating something that can hurt her, and safer for your belongings!

 

[mayapaya]

Laughing.... you can tell I have little kids... I saw that your 4 1/2 year old went to the same one and my first thought was "wow, what a neat idea, a place that does day care for kids AND dogs!" How smart! Just drop them all off at the same place, be a big time saver! HAHAHA! (OMG, could you imagine!)

Very funny, had an imagine in my head of walking a toddler and puppy to the same day care!!!!! What a time saver, LOL--actually good marketing advise for the next doggie day care looking for an ideal location--open next door to a child's day care center!

 

[mayapaya]

Just thought I'd mention, if you are going to be occupied and can't watch her, like with your conference calls, put her in her crate even if you are home. Safer for her, you don't want her eating something that can hurt her, and safer for your belongings!

yes, learned this lesson the hard way (and not that I care so much about the items she's chewed, because I am overjoyed that she has not gotten ill from anything!) I was trying to give her a bit more freedom, and in the beginning, she was a perfect angel, even when I left the room. Now, not so much--so it's back the safety of her crate whenever we leave the room

 

[jluke]

Dog Park?

I don't know if you have a local dog park. We're lucky enough to have one that's almost two acres where Maisie can run and romp with other dogs and when it's warm enough swim, too. When we get home, she's exhausted in the best possible way. She hasn't quite hit the adolescent issues yet (7 months), but I'm hoping the park will help.